{Present, Estate of the Carmilla Royal Faction's Eastern Gate}
I truly don't know what I expected.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
The whole battlefield was wrapped in a black miasma. The enemy lay shriveled and decomposing — that alone made it plain why she led the faction.
"W-We apologize for losing the front!"
She was an Ultimate-Class on paper, but in truth, she was pushing Satan-Class. Just a single step forward and she'd break through for sure.
"How many did we lose?" she sighed as her eyes swept the hundreds of dead.
"A few thousand, but far fewer than we first feared," one of the captains answered as the queen and I descended. "The Lord's army arrived just in time."
He looked at me with gratitude, which I answered with a curt nod.
With the situation around the main city finally settled, Queen Carmilla moved on to other matters and began issuing orders.
"We do not have the luxury to rest and waste time," she announced with her voice amplified through magic. "The other fronts are under attack. We need to regroup with the rest of the soldiers and push the attackers back!"
That was my cue to step forward.
"Your Highness," I said. She turned to me as I spoke. "My queen and my rook are handling two fronts. That leaves only the west. I think we should focus there first."
She arched an eyebrow. "The southern gate is a major gate. If it falls, it is as bad as the main gate falling."
Despite the answer, I kept my confidence steady. "My rook has the south gate. He told me the devils of the Old Satan Faction are nowhere near them. He has over twenty-two thousand devils with him, so he definitely can handle that front. Trust him, and trust me on this, your highness."
She was beautiful, but a frown stayed on her face. "Is that why you came with only ten thousand soldiers?"
Only ten thousand. Not a huge force against an army, but commanding ten thousand is no small thing — even for me.
"Yes," I said, not offended, just honest. "You've seen what my abilities can do against armies. I didn't need more. I left the rest with my queen and my rook."
She paused, then asked, "Are you confident in their capabilities?"
I trusted their command more than my own. One is the son of Tannin, personally trained by the Blaze Meteor. The other is a Leviathan, with Elmenhilde supporting her.
"I am confident."
I glanced at my army — the same as when they arrived. Barely any injuries, minimal deaths. The numbers held strong.
"Very well," she decided. "I will trust you on this. But if the southern gate falls, you will answer to the faction."
"I will."
After all — a dragon doesn't fall easy.
* * *
{Same Time, Estate of the Carmilla Royal Faction's Southern Gate}
—Bova Tannin—
"What is the enemy composition looking like?"
It had been a while since he joined the battle, and so far, the vampire commanders had proven to be annoyingly stubborn.
"Two Ultimate-Class, multiple High-Class among the central legion, and the other legions are led by lower High-Class vampires."
The one answering was the commander who had been leading up until now. He sounded reluctant to hand the reins over to Bova, wanting him to fight according to his strategy—a plan he had mapped out since the battle began.
The problem was obvious: his strategy would cost more lives than Faiser could afford right now.
Bova wasn't the type to mourn the death of innocents. As a dragon, he knew death was part of war. But when the blood price was going to come from his lord's legions? That was something he couldn't allow.
'He has less than ten legions. We cannot reduce the number further.'
So he made his point clear. "How many of us would fall for this strategy of yours, commander?"
The commander avoided his gaze, the answer was plain.
"A lot," Bova said flatly, answering for him. "And we cannot afford to lose that many lives."
"Sacrifice is necessary in war!" the commander shot back. "You should know that since you joined the fight. I am in charge of this battle, and the deaths are on me. If you're scared of losing soldiers, you shouldn't have joined."
That rubbed Bova the wrong way. "Might I remind you, we joined not because we were forced, but because my king didn't want innocents to die. And what you're doing is leading my king's legions to their deaths—innocents included."
The strategy was flawed. Against a larger army backed by two Ultimate-class vampires—even if they were lower tier—it wasn't enough.
"You—"
Bova cut him off with a sharper voice. "You think you have the right to command just because you've been leading longer, and because you're willing to take the blame for the deaths. Isn't that it?"
The vampire scowled but nodded firmly. "That's right. I've been leading for years, and even in this battle, I managed to hold them back before you arrived."
Bova looked around. The death toll was clear.
'This madman lost a chunk of his army already, despite having the home advantage.'
He made up his mind. "What if I take charge? What if I take the blame for the deaths?"
The commander froze, stunned. He hadn't expected Bova to agree to such terms.
As for Bova, he knew every word was being relayed to his king through the comms.
"Are you sure?" Faiser's voice rang in his ear. "You're confident?"
Bova clenched his fists. "I am."
He wasn't sure if his king would accept—after all, a single mistake would bring the blame on Faiser too. And Bova had only joined the peerage recently; maybe being this bold was a mistake.
"Then go ahead," Faiser finally said. "I left you in charge of around forty percent of my army. Use them as you see fit."
This caught him by surprise. "Are you… sure?"
Faiser laughed through the comm. "I wouldn't have given you so many troops otherwise. You're my rook — who can I trust if I can't trust my own peerage?"
Bova paused, feeling foolish for thinking his king might be angry at the suggestion. Now he was more than certain Faiser trusted him more than he deserved.
"I will not disappoint you, boss," he said, barely audible through the intercom. Then he turned back to the commander. "I'm willing to take the blame for the outcome of this fight — even for the deaths. What do you say?"
The man went quiet, thinking. He knew he couldn't win this battle without massive losses; even a victory would cost him eighty percent of his soldiers. If a devil was brave (or foolish) enough to take the lead and the blame, who was he to refuse? Besides, it had been the queen who asked the devils for help — letting one take charge wouldn't be entirely his fault.
"Are you saying you'll take the deaths of my kind on yourself?" the commander asked, loud enough for the soldiers to hear.
"From here on, the death toll is on me," Bova answered. "We can't win without losses, but it will be far less than what you expected. So — will you let me lead?"
The vampire commander barely hid a smirk. "Very well. You take the lead, but remember — my soldiers' blood will be on you."
Bova wasn't stupid; he saw exactly what the man was doing. He didn't argue. Instead, he moved on.
He walked over to one of Faiser's legion commanders — the old leader of the Valefar legion — and leaned in to whisper so only the two of them could hear.
"I'm splitting the army differently. A large chunk needs to take the rear. Teleport there with a fraction of the Valefar troops, and make sure those vampires don't disobey orders."
If this plan worked, the troops teleporting behind the enemy would be the key.
"We can't attack the rear with our numbers — what's the plan?" the Valefar commander asked. Bova smiled. "Trust me and follow my orders. This is a strategy Lord Faiser taught me."
The old commander hesitated, then nodded. He commanded Faiser's legion, and his lord's word was law. If Faiser wanted this, he wouldn't refuse.
"Very well."
Bova turned to the ranks and grinned, shouting, "Soldiers! Change positions! New formation — now!"
* * *
{Same Time, Estate of the Carmilla Royal Faction's Southern Gate}
—Maekar '39th Legion Commander of Tepes'—
Something felt off. The attacks were still going strong, but they'd shifted from counterattack to a defensive posture.
His support hadn't caught on as quickly as he'd hoped—the captain kept pushing forward with aggressive strikes. 'Something is definitely wrong.'
He noticed the barriers: as soon as one broke, another went up. Standing behind the first line of soldiers and protected by three more legions in the rear, he and the captain didn't have to worry much. They were safe. The frontliners were strong enough to both attack and defend, and with so many troops, whenever one soldier fell another took his place.
But now, since the enemy wasn't trying to counterattack and was focused on defense, they couldn't keep the same tactic. A bigger army let them advance while taking some losses, but if the opposition refused to let a single strike through, they had to change formation.
He turned to his captain. "Magar, change formation!"
The captain looked surprised for a second, then nodded.
"We go full offense!" the commander shouted. "First five legions—focus entirely on attacking!"
He switched the front to all-out offense while the rear stayed ready to back them up and hold the line.
"Legions two to four, take the center!" the captain yelled. "Legion one left—legion five right!"
The legions shifted and formed an arc, the strongest, most durable soldiers in the center and the long-range marksmen on the flanks.
Instantly, their firepower doubled. Barriers started breaking twice as fast, leaving the enemy less time to rebuild, and they scored several kills. Their forces also managed to move forward.
"Be prepared!" he shouted. "Enemies are right on top of us!"
A large chunk of the enemy stood before them, mirroring their formation: a dense center and flanks to either side. The difference was the approach—while they were attack-oriented, the enemy was locked down in defense.
"An entirely defensive army can't win against us!" the captain roared, "but they can slow us. Don't fall back—attack at once!"
They both realized the enemy was stalling. 'They've probably called for backup,' he thought. 'Need to break their defense before it arrives.'
He also noticed the enemy force was smaller overall and guessed a portion had teleported to the rear. He didn't prioritize that now and kept his focus on the front.
'They're trying to block our escape when the backup comes,' a confident smile crept across his face. 'But they won't survive until then.'
"Attack with everything! Break the defense now!"
He unleashed his blood magic, launching long-range strikes while staying protected.
'The center's stronger than the rest,' he noted. 'But we can't ignore the sides yet.'
"Soldiers in the rear—arch formation!" he shouted, securing their flanks so the front legions had a clearer path.
"Front ranks—wedge formation! Break their line!"
The troops shifted into a tight wedge and surged forward, driving straight into the enemy defense.
The commander and the captain were protected from the sides by the arch formation, which allowed them to push the soldiers at the front toward the enemy's defense while supporting them with long-range attacks.
At first, it worked. The enemy's formation began to weaken, and when the wedge finally clashed into their wall, it looked like they were on the verge of breaking through.
Or so he thought.
"Commander!" the captain shouted. "The formation on the left!"
The enemy's left flank—just a single legion—suddenly moved to attack their arc.
The commander frowned. "Take them down! It's only one legion!"
A portion of his formation shifted to defend the left. Almost immediately, he barked another order.
"Prioritize the right! If the left has attacked, the right will too!"
And he was right. The right flank struck next. They didn't charge, but instead rained down long-range attacks.
"Barriers!" the captain yelled, and the vampires raised blood barriers, blocking arrows and spears from reaching the commanders.
"Break the front!" the commander roared. "What's taking so long?!"
But things weren't going as he'd expected.
The enemy's front line, which he thought would crumble under the wedge, held firm. Their defense was unshakable, bolstered by multiple skills and abilities—devils, working seamlessly alongside vampires.
Slowing spells, tripping enchantments, binding magic—the devils used every dirty trick to stop his soldiers from breaking through. The vampires on their side reinforced them with blood magic, turning the line into an unbreakable wall.
"These damned devils!" his face turned red with fury. "Filthy creatures!"
What he didn't realize was that most of those devils belonged to the Valefar legion—the most skilled defensive force in all the devil world. Valefar prided themselves on stalling, binding, and protecting. And that was exactly what they were doing.
"C-Commander!" one of his soldiers shouted. "The Carmilla army at the back—the devils are moving toward us!"
The troops Bova had sent behind enemy lines were finally making their move, and the commander was beginning to understand.
The Carmilla faction had fewer legions, even with the devils, but the sheer defensive ability of the Valefar meant a single legion could hold back three of his. And it was costing him dearly.
With five legions tied up at the front, and portions of his left and right redirected to deal with the Carmilla flanks, he had little left to spare. Now the enemy forces at the rear struck back, countering his arc and enclosing them in one of their own.
The Tepes were unable to retreat, and with the front trapped in the enemy's defense lines, the situation grew dire.
"The front lines!" the captain yelled. "They're being pushed back!"
And finally, the commander realized it.
"They're trying to trap us!" he roared. "Break free at all costs!"
But it was already too late.
The failure at the front had cost him everything. The enemy tightened their hold, slowly enclosing them in a circle with no escape—commander and captain at the center, shielded by only a single legion.
The rest of the soldiers struggled to push the enemy back.
"Surrender!"
That was when he finally heard the voice of the devil in charge.
"You cannot win this. Fall back. If you do, you will survive."
The voice didn't come from the front, the back, or the sides. It came from above.
He looked up—and saw him.
A devil, red-haired like the Satan Lucifer, but wilder. He hovered in the air above their heads, glaring down at them as if they were nothing but pests.
"Filthy devil!" the commander shouted. "The Tepes faction will never surrender!"
He knew the devil above was strong, but he too was an Ultimate-Class. And as one, he believed he wouldn't fall so easily.
"I will give you one more chance," the devil said, his voice low and steady. "Surrender."
This time, before anyone could respond, the devil acted.
"T-Transformation magic?!" gasped the vampires.
His body began to twist and grow. Scales rippled across his skin, his form expanded, and before anyone could fully grasp it—there was a red dragon flying above them.
The soldiers trembled, fear clawing at their throats. Yet pride held firm.
"We—we are the vampires of Tepes!" the captain shouted, clinging to his resolve. Two Ultimate-Class vampires should have been enough.
"An overgrown lizard cannot win against us!" the commander roared, defiance burning through his voice.
The dragon looked down on them, disappointed.
"A pity."
That was all he said before opening his jaws.
"Demonic Dragon's Breath!"
The flames that poured out were unlike anything they had ever seen. Fire so hot it melted armor before touching it, vaporized blood midair, and scorched skin into ash before it could even burn.
Even the commander and the captain—their proud Ultimate-Class warriors—never understood what happened as the fire consumed them whole.
It was in that moment the vampires of Tepes learned a brutal truth.
Even among Ultimate-Class beings, there were those far beyond them. Those whose powers and abilities eclipsed the limits of their rank.
And the Satan-Class Demonic Dragon's Breath was proof of it.
The breath that burned two Ultimate-Class vampires alive.
*************************************************************************************************************
{A/N: If the chapter formatting is bad, it's because I am using my phone rn, and for some reason, the spacing is all messed up. I will fix it if it sucks after posting.
Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters.
So… been a while, eh? Been a damn long time, to be fair. But there is an explanation. A pretty painful one (for me).
Explanation for my disappearance:
Short answer: My immune system nearly collapsed on me. I nearly died, had to undergo treatment that replaced the stem cells in my bone marrow, and survived, though it was a torture of a procedure.
Longer answer: I have always suffered from a weaker immune system, and recently it wasn't even able to adapt to the small issues, infections, or diseases that the average person goes through. One such infection nearly took my life, so the doctors suggested a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT), which is basically a procedure that replaces the blood-making stem cells found in the bone marrow. They gave me injections for nearly a week so the stem cells would leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream, allowing them to collect my blood and filter out the stem cells. I then went through chemotherapy so the old stem cells could be removed, and after a damn long process, I was finally given the new stem cells.
The recovery was a bitch. It took a toll on both my mental health and my body. I could barely eat anything for weeks and survived on injected fluids. The pain was unbearable, and at one point, I even considered dying as an alternative.
At present, however, I am doing much better. I'm able to do my daily tasks, though I still spend most of my time in bed, reading, scribbling, watching shows, etc.
And since I'm in bed, able to type, and have nothing better to do, I thought I'd pick this back up (especially since my mental health is stable now and I can finally focus on writing).
I will be posting roughly six chapters a week. Sundays are my break day because I have to go in for some tests. And yeah, I believe I'll have fun writing again as well. Additionally, I'm keeping my other story, or stories, on hold until I finish this one. All my focus will be on this story until it's complete.
Thank you for the support. ✌️}